Marques Haynes
Encyclopedia
Marques Haynes is an American
former professional basketball
player and member of the Harlem Globetrotters
, notable for his remarkable ability to dribble the ball and keep it away from defenders. According to the movie Harlem Globetrotters: Six Decades of Magic(1988), Haynes could dribble the ball as many as six times a second.
, he played basketball for Langston University
from 1942-1946. While at Langston, he once dribbled out the clock in a conference tournament game to ridicule an opponent, Southern University
, which had just run up the score against an inferior team (Sam Huston College, later Huston-Tillotson University
), which incidentally, was coached by a young Jackie Robinson
. Haynes' own coach, the legendary Zip Gayles, reprimanded him for the showboating display, but it helped draw the attention of the Globetrotters, always on the search for trick ballhandlers; Langston was invited to play an exhibition game against the Globetrotters in Oklahoma City
. In that game, Haynes led Langston to a 4-point win and was immediately invited to join the Globetrotters, and (after returning to Langston to complete his degree) his long professional career began.
. Boxing
legend Sugar Ray Robinson
sometimes played exhibitions with this team. Haynes later rejoined the Globetrotters as a player/coach and was a regular on the 1974-75 The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine
TV show. He also played for the Harlem Wizards.
, Pete Maravich
, and Fred "Curly" Neal
. It is possible that Haynes has played more professional basketball games than anyone in history, staying active well into his sixties.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and member of the Harlem Globetrotters
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
, notable for his remarkable ability to dribble the ball and keep it away from defenders. According to the movie Harlem Globetrotters: Six Decades of Magic(1988), Haynes could dribble the ball as many as six times a second.
Early playing days
Haynes learned to dribble the basketball from his sisters, and perhaps was aided by the skill of handling the ball on the dirt courts of his hometown. A native of Sand Springs, OklahomaSand Springs, Oklahoma
Sand Springs is a city in Osage and Tulsa counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A suburb of Tulsa, it is located predominantly in Tulsa County. The population was 18,906 in the 2010 U. S. Census, compared to 17,451 at the 2000 census. The city was founded in 1911, by Oklahoma philanthropist...
, he played basketball for Langston University
Langston University
Langston University is an institution of higher learning located in Langston, Oklahoma, USA. It is the only historically black college in the state, and the westernmost historically black college in the United States...
from 1942-1946. While at Langston, he once dribbled out the clock in a conference tournament game to ridicule an opponent, Southern University
Southern University
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
, which had just run up the score against an inferior team (Sam Huston College, later Huston-Tillotson University
Huston-Tillotson University
Huston–Tillotson University is a historically black university in Austin, Texas, United States. The school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, and the United Negro College Fund....
), which incidentally, was coached by a young Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
. Haynes' own coach, the legendary Zip Gayles, reprimanded him for the showboating display, but it helped draw the attention of the Globetrotters, always on the search for trick ballhandlers; Langston was invited to play an exhibition game against the Globetrotters in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
. In that game, Haynes led Langston to a 4-point win and was immediately invited to join the Globetrotters, and (after returning to Langston to complete his degree) his long professional career began.
Tenure with the Harlem Globetrotters
Haynes played with the Globetrotters from 1947-1953. Upon leaving in 1953, he turned down a $35,000 a year offer from the Philadelphia Warriors that would have made him the second-highest paid player in the NBA, to found his own barnstorming team, the Harlem MagiciansHarlem Magicians
Harlem Magicians was a basketball enterprise founded in 1953 by Lon Varnell through his Varnell Enterprises, that was similar in fashion and activities to the basketball entertainment program the Harlem Globetrotters. The full name of the barnstorming basketball team was The Fabulous Harlem...
. Boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
legend Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson was an African-American professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time, Robinson's performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight...
sometimes played exhibitions with this team. Haynes later rejoined the Globetrotters as a player/coach and was a regular on the 1974-75 The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine
The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine
The Harlem Globetrotters Popcorn Machine was a Saturday morning variety show featuring players from the basketball team the Harlem Globetrotters singing, dancing, and performing comedy sketches...
TV show. He also played for the Harlem Wizards.
Retirement
He retired in 1992 after a 46-year professional career, and was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on October 2, 1998. He now resides in Dallas, Texas.Legacy
Many consider him the premier ballhandler who ever lived, and his game influenced players such as Bob CousyBob Cousy
Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'1" , 175-pound Cousy played point guard with the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics from 1951 to 1963 and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals in the 1969–70 season...
, Pete Maravich
Pete Maravich
Peter "Pistol Pete" Press Maravich was an American professional basketball player. Born and raised in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Maravich starred in college at Louisiana State University and played for three NBA teams until injuries induced him to retire in 1980...
, and Fred "Curly" Neal
Fred Neal
Fred "Curly" Neal is an American basketball player best known for his career with the Harlem Globetrotters. Following in the footsteps of Marques Haynes, Neal became the Trotters' featured ballhandler, a key role in the team's exhibition act....
. It is possible that Haynes has played more professional basketball games than anyone in history, staying active well into his sixties.